Why Do You Like Cannabis Dispensaries? Consumers Cite Safety, Reliability In New Study

People who turn to illegal cannabis dispensaries for their medicine do so because they feel safe there, and because these shops offer reliable supplies of the specific strains they want, a new study has found.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia say the study’s results can help the Canadian and provincial governments understand what consumers want as they prepare for next year’s legalization.

“We’ve seen that dispensaries are part of the legal system in other jurisdictions, in the States where they have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes, and we’ve had a natural experiment, in a way, going on in Canada for the past 20 years,” said Rielle Capler, a PhD student and the study’s lead author.

“So we’re hoping that this research can help inform governments as they consider what distribution will look like after legalization and take into account the patient and user’s perspective.”